Blue White Illustrated

Nebraska Postgame

Penn State Sports Magazine

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secure a first down as the third quarter ran down, Hamilton let a ball slip through his hands as he coasted toward the left sideline. The Nittany Lions were forced to punt later in the drive. BEST SACKFor all their dominance in the first half, the Nittany Lions had yet to record a sack until Nebraska's final drive of the second quarter. Penn State's defensive line overran the Corn- huskers in the trenches, as Jason Cabinda and Shareef Miller brought down quarterback Tanner Lee for a loss. BEST RETURNReturning kicks for Penn State on Saturday in Barkley's place was Brandon Polk, who was held in check for most of the game. In the fourth quarter, however, Polk put to- gether a 34-yard return to set the Nit- tany Lions up with excellent field position. BEST HITWith a full head of steam through the line of scrimmage, senior Tyrell Chavis used the force of his 308- pound frame to emphatically bring down Lee. BEST EFFORTWhen Johnson caught a slant over the middle of the field late in the first quarter, it appeared as though he would be tackled for a modest 10- yard gain. But Johnson used his size to create an explosive play, breaking a pair of tackles while crossing the field to earn a gain of 43 yards. BEST KICKBlake Gillikin's best punt was his last, a booming, end-over-end kick that landed inside the Nebraska 5- yard line for a net of 56 yards. WORST KICKAfter they went three- and-out on a drive that began deep in their own territory, the Nittany Lions needed Gillikin to flip their field posi- tion. Instead, he shanked an 18-yard punt. The Cornhuskers used their ex- cellent field position to take their first and only lead of the game. MOST TELLING MOMENTFrom Barkley's very first touch of the game, it was evident that the Cornhuskers had no answer for him. Nebraska, whose is- sues stopping the run coming into the game were well-publicized, didn't have the same success that previous oppo- nents did keying in on the star running back, as he enjoyed one of his best games of the season. N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . c O M 5 R E C R U I T I N G Four-star prospect Jason Oweh took an official visit to Penn State this week- end for the Nittany Lions' home finale against Nebraska. A 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end from Blair Academy in New Jersey, Oweh took his first official visit to Ohio State in September and is also planning to visit Michigan next weekend, then Notre Dame in early December. He is planning to announce his decision Jan. 4 at the Under Armour All-America Game. "I talk to Penn State almost daily," Blair Academy head coach Jim Saylor said. "Ricky Rahne and Coach [James] Franklin have stayed in touch with me throughout the entire process. I actu- ally just talked to them [Wednesday]. They didn't think that Jayson's mom was going to be able to make the trip, but she [did], so we clarified that." Saylor added, "I think his mother is going to have a big impact on where he ends up. She wants him to be happy with the school, of course, but she'll have a big impact on where he ends up. She also attended the game at Ohio State earlier in the season, so it's good that she's now coming out to Penn State to see everything there." Despite the fact that Oweh was in- jured at the time – he missed two games due to a high-ankle sprain – Franklin and defensive line coach Sean Spencer made the trip to Mercersburg, Pa., to watch Blair Academy face Mercersburg Academy during Penn State's bye week in October. Saylor said that he was im- pressed with the staff's commitment. "They knew he wasn't going to be able to play that day, but they still wanted to come and show their support, which I think speaks very highly of their coaches," Saylor said. "Coach Franklin and Coach Spencer were great. Coach Franklin was playing catch with some kids at halAime. I thought it was really cool to see that their coaches get it. They get the full picture about what it's really all about. It was an awesome ex- perience for those kids and really everyone there that day." Oweh has been building his relation- ship with Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State for over a year now. It wasn't until last month that he earned an offer from Michigan, and that's a major rea- son why Saylor believes that the other three schools currently hold an edge. "In my opinion, the schools that have been doing a great job recruiting him are Penn State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Those are the coaches that have been consistently in contact with me, and I know they're reaching out to Jayson. Michigan also still has a shot. "It's going to be a tough decision for him. Those are all some great schools. He deserves those offers, too. Not only is he a great player on the field, but he's an excellent young man who will repre- sent whichever school he ends up at very well." This season, Oweh led Blair Academy to a 6-2 record. He recorded 48 tackles, including an eye-catching 25 tackles for loss. He had 20 quarterback hurries, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles. Penn State also hosted 2018 four-star wide receiver Solomon Enis of Phoenix for an official visit, but with limited scholarships, the staff is still focused on other positions for the time being. Of- fensive lineman Zeke Correll of Cincin- nati, cornerback Nyquee Hawkins of Orange, N.J., receiver John Metchie of Hagerstown, Md., and offensive line- man Trevor Keegan of Crystal Lake, Ill., were the most notable 2019 prospects expected to be in attendance. Nittany Lions welcome Oweh for season's final home game R Y A N   S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . c O M

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